Bed lengthener



g- 26, 1952 B. E. DOYLE 2,607,932

BED LENGTHENER I Filed Jul 20, 1950 7 FIG. 7 f BERNARD E.DOYL.E.-

' I my MK mm Patented Aug. 26, 1952 UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE f' v 2 ,607,932 f H 7 BED LENGTHENER Bernard E. Doyle, Goodyear, Ariz. Application July 20, 1950, Serial No. 174,928

This invention pertains to bed lengtheners- Heretofore some attempts have been made to extend the lengths of beds having head posts and foot posts, with side rails attached to them by hooks, by adding pieces to the rails which attached at one end to the rail, and. at the other end to the head or'foot post. A longer set of springs and mattress was then positioned on the frame lengthened in this manner. I

This arrangement has proved unsatisfactory for several reasons, but primarily because joints between the added rail pieces and the rail ends could not be made firm enough to adequately support the head and foot pieces and still permit removal when desired. Another reason was that unless the lengthening pieces were permanently attached to the rails the joints would cause wobble and make the whole bed frame'rickety. 3 In view of the foregoing,.one of the objects of my invention is to provide a device for extending the length of standard beds of the type mentioned which can be easily and quickly applied without the use 'of .tools to form a rigid structure combined with the bed frame and will, make it unnecessary to use a longer mattress and spring. 7

A second'object is to provide a combined bed rail, spring and mattress structure which can be quickly and easily attached to a rail bed so as to extend its length to accommodate tall persons who cannot occupy standard beds with comfort.

A third object is to provide a bed lengthening device which can be quickly and easily attached to or detached from the header foot portion of the bed, and the rail ends to form an extension for the rails, springs or mattress and provide lateral bracing when installed so that the bed is rigid and may be moved about for cleaning, making, and the like, without shaking or loosening of the rail'frame parts.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

I attain the foregoing objects by means of the device, structure and combinations shown in ac companying drawings in which- Figure l is a perspective view of my device as applied to a bedstead, one end of the bed being shown; j

Figure 2 is a bottom plan viewof my device;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of one end of my device drawn-on an enlarged scale;

. Figure 4 is a fragmentary end view of my de-. vice with the outside portions broken away to show the interior construction;

Figure 5 is an ,elevationof the inner face of one, of the bed rail extending portions of the device;

Y le -aims. (01. 5-184) 2 .I Figure 6 is an end elevation thereof together with a fragmentary'portion of the spring and mattress extending portion, "shown partially in section; r

Figure 7- is a perspective view attaching brackets, and

of one of the Figure 8 is a perspective view of one of the bed rail extending elements with portionsbroken" away to showinterior structureand drawn on an enlarged scale. Similar numerals refer to similar parts in the severalviews. I This device consists mainly of a mattress and spring extension structure 12, and bed rail extending elements l6 and I1. Themattress and spring portion of my device has, as a base, a rec'- tangular wooden frame 2 which includes a base board 3, a top board 4 and end pieces 5.-Coil springs I are attached to the upper face of top board 4 and are tied, covered and padded'as at 8, according to usual trade practice andthen covered withfabric [0 which is tacked-toand around the edges of base board 3. These parts form mattress and spring extension structure l2; which provides a lengthening means for the standard spring and mattress l4,: indicated by dotted lines." It is- 01" the samewidth as'the standard mattress and spring structure which it lengthens. p r H v The rail extending elements l6 andv I'I ;ar,e made in pairs as right'and left counterparts. Each element includes a block 20 of substantially the same height and thickness as the standard bed rails 2|. At one end standard; railhook plates 22 are attached permanentlyby-means of bolts 24, and at the other end a, vertical slot 26 isformed tolreceive the-hook plate 23 on theend of bed rail 2|. Transverse to this slot there are two bolts 21 and 28 which extend through longitudinal slots 29 in ,the block. Wing nutsv 30 thread on their inwardly directed ends. These bolts are positioned to accept the standard hooks on the end of said plate 23.

Equally spaced holes 32 are drilled in a vertical row in approximately the middle of each lengthening element block. L-shaped" metal angle brackets 34 have their vertical legs 33 drilled to provide holes 35 spaced and alined'to mate holes 32 in each block. They are attached to the blocks by two bolts Sit-having wing nuts 3'! ontheir inwardly directed. threaded; ends. The hor-izontal arms 38 of these brackets have longitudinal slots 39 to receive bolts 40; extending downwardthrough base board 3 of framefl. Wing nuts 42 are threaded onto the ends o'f these 5 bolts.

placement in ordinary use. At the same time the vertical adjustment provided by holes 32 in blocks 20 mating with the several holes 35 in the-veri tical legs of brackets 34 provide a simple and expedient means for leveling the padded top 5 of structure I2 with the top of indicated mattress 1.

l4 whenever necessary. Likewise the lateral adjustment afforded by slots 39 assures methane:

ment of hook plates 22;;Twith the receiving slots intheheador foot end posts 41 of the bedf-rame 50: Slots 29 provide adjustment tor bolts 21 and 2 8 tofassure that they will accept the hooks of bed rail hook plates 23 and compensate for-any unsta-ndard *variations'in the positions 'of the hooks. H

In the art; trade practice requires that bed frame jrails be equally spaced; also that spring and mattress-structure be of uniform thickness and height. However, variations are :often found in'bed frames now on the market and therefore it is necessary to provide the abovewadjustments to :make' this device generally practical.

the foregoing" it will be readily understood that Ihave iprovided'a m'eansafor lengthening theusu'a'l or standard "bedframewhich is :a complete in'itself; It can quickly beat tached by removing the bed frame rails fromthe head (preferably) or "foot and" .attachingithe lengthening elements. it and 'J :l, andsprin'g' and mattress extension I21 The :several wing nuts on their respective "bolts provide adequate zm'eans for adjustment and tightening. The "ihooks 22 at the outer endso'f the lengthening blocks are then attached to the "head posts "the :same manner as 'the'rails ere originally attached. hotel s-or the ifkd'wh'erextra long bedsare occasionally required "to accommodate tall persons, this device can quickly be applied to a standard length bedi 0n the other hand, in the home, where an' extra long bed is: required permanently, the device" is fsufiiciently rigid to stand all' ordi nary use, Without loosening, and it is t in-j necessary to go to the expense of acquiring an extra longlspecially buiit bed frame, spring, and

mattress. e e

Although the em-p ers extender is slightly bulky, on the, other bandit is quite .ilight and when it is provided with a carrying. case. it .can be, used as an-item of luggage Where tallpersons are required to travel extensively and find that beds of suitable lengths areoften unavailable, this device can be encased in .a zippered bag and easily carried with other luggage. When desired, the device can be installed in anystandaid-bed within a 'tewmoments and without the need of any special tools; iDue to the fact that it isinstal'le'd atone ofthe ends oi the bed (preferably-the head: end) fthejactua-l -wear' on the spring ana paadm 'peruon or the mattress and spring extender is very small and the 'devicejwill last for many .years. In this respect, it can therefore be said that it is adequately durable as well as being structurally strong.

In view of the foregoing I make the following claims:

I claim:

1. A bed lengthener for use on beds having side rails attachable by hooks on hook plates to head and foot posts, comprising right and left bed rail lengthening blocks having slots at the rear adapted to receive the hooks on the hook plates of said bed rails, and longitudinally extending transverse slots 'positicmed v receive transversely extending bolts adapted t6 engage .hooks on the ends of said bed rail hook plates, "bed post hooks on the forward ends of said blocks,

L -'shaped brackets on the inner faces of said blocks adapted for vertical adjustment thereon,

said brackets having slots to receive bolts on 7 their horizontal arms, a spring and mattress lengthener consisting of a frame having a base board, upwardly extending side members and a top board, covered springs and padding disposed on said top board and bolts extending downward through said 'base board and fastened iintosaid slots in the horizontal arms of .said vL-sha'ped brackets. I 1

'2. Ina bed having aiframe including head'aznd foot end members having posts, and sid rails having end hooks engaging :said end members and spring and mattress structure thereon, abed lengthener for attachment between the rail ends and the end postin'ember's consisting of :a padded extension mattress having "its sides and top the same planes witl-i"the"sides'-and-topof said springpand mattress structure and including a base frame at the bottom provided with a base board; a pair of rightand 'leftr'a'il extenders composed of blocks 'withth'eir'inner edgesslotted and provided with transverse bolts to reeeive the end hooks ofsaid side rails and their'forward ends provided with hooks to engagethe posts of the end members of said bed frame, and having a plurality of vertically 'alined equally spaced bolt holes; L shapedfbrackets joining said blocksto said exte nsion "mattress having-vertical legs provided with 'holes'rnatingfthevertically alined holes in said 'blocks and theirfhori zontal arms extending inwardly and provided with bolt receiving slots; boltsvextending" trans: versely through said alined holes in saidblocks and said mating holes in said brackets remove ably attaching said brackets to .said blocks, and,

bolts extending downward through said base board-and said slots said horizontal bracket arms .detachably securing. said extension mattress to said brackets.

3. In a bed lengthenerfor extending the usable length of rail and post beds, having a boxspr-ing and mattress structure conforming to the sectional shape of the spring and mattress to be lengthened, and bed-frame rail extending blocks adapted to be secured to the ends of the .rails of the bed to be lengthened and hooks to engage transverse pins in slots in theend posts of the bed, means for bracing said rail extenders and providing lateral adjustment therefor and means ,for varying the height of said mattress structure above said rail extenders includingiL brackets having vertically-disposed legs and horizontally extending arms removably attached to the inner faces of said rail extending blocks by vertically spaced pairsof'bolts transversely extending through said blocks and any two of "a plurality of mating vertically alined holes in the vertical legs of said ,"brackets, and transverse slots in the horizontalarms of saidbr'ackets adapted to receive bolts extending downward from the bottom surface of said spring and mattress structure.

4. In a bed lengthener for extending the usable length of beds having head and foot elements with posts longitudinally slotted and provided with transverse pins to admit and hold hooks on the ends of laterally positioned bed rails, a padded boxspring structure having a vertical and transverse contour similar to that of the spring and mattress structure of the bed to be lengthened, being of a length equal to the desired extension, and a solid bottom board carrying downwardly extending bolts near the lateral ends of said boxspring structure; rail extending elements each including blocks having slots and pins to receive and attach to the ends of said bed rails on one end, and having hooks to attach to said head and foot posts at their other ends; together with means affording transverse and vertical adjustment for attaching said spring and mattress structure to each of said rail extending elements including L-shaped angle brackets having their vertical legs attachable by bolts to said rail extending blocks at a plurality of vertically spaced positions, and their horizontal arms provided with transversely extending slots adapted to receive said downwardly extending bolts on said boxspring structure.

BERNARD E. DOYLE.

REFERENCES CITED The 'following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 555,042 Imbertson et a1. Feb. 18, 1896 1,967,771 Gardeski July 24, 1934-. 2,459,880 Hill Jan. 25, 1949 2,539,933 Silverman Jan. 30, 1951 2,582,035 Hill 1 Jan. 8, 1952 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 622,249 France Feb. 21, 1927 189,572 Great Britain Dec. 7, 1922 

